Luke's Unwound Future
by Frog-kun
Summary: WARNING! This story and summary contains spoilers for game 3! Clive's uncanny resemblance to Luke was why he was able to pose as Future Luke. But was that the only reason why he did what he did? Gen fic. No yaoi.


**Author's note: **Quoted dialogue is from the US version of the game. Also, like I reminded you in the summary, there are heavy spoilers from Unwound Future here. Read on only if you've played the game to its entirety.

**Luke's Unwound Future**

The aftermath of the time machine adventure felt not so much like the winding down of a clock but more as if someone had picked up a hammer and stopped the clock altogether. Maybe it was because this particular adventure had been distinctly more hair-raising than the others had been, but Luke suspected that it was mostly because he knew that this was his last mystery he would ever solve as Professor Layton's apprentice... for a while, at least. For a very long while.

Naturally, it was only after he'd parted with Layton did Luke finally begin to reflect on what had happened on that last adventure. He would lie on his bed in his new bedroom (it took a little getting used to) and replay all the events in his mind. It was certainly a nostalgic thing to do, but it was only in this light could Luke begin to think about the people he'd met and the things they'd said and done.

Above all, the person who stood out in his mind the most was Big Lu- no, Clive. Luke could feel his ire rise just thinking about that dirty scoundrel. How he'd tricked them all and then gone onto bigger things like _attempting to destroy London_.

Then Luke began to think about the quieter moments in the adventure, like after he, Layton and Big Lu- Clive had escaped from the casino together. Luke had to hurry his pace to keep in step because Clive and Layton had such long legs. Luke remembered being glad that one day he would be well and truly big enough to match Professor Layton.

But it was what Clive said to him that stuck out now, on retrospect.

"_Think about this scenario," _Clive told him. _"Imagine there's this bully who's always giving you trouble. Now, let's say you had that time machine we've been talking about. Would you travel back in time to when that bully was a bratty five-year-old and whale on him?"_

Luke didn't have to think too hard to find the answer for that one. _"Of course not! That'd be cruel."_

It was then that Clive gave him a look that even to this day Luke could not properly think of a word to describe. _"Of course you wouldn't," _Clive said slowly,_ "because you've got a good heart. But imagine the damage someone less kind could do with a machine like that."_

Clive knew even then that he was the someone less kind. He _knew _it, and that was why he'd said to Luke...

Was it a warning? Or maybe a plea? Luke didn't know. It was hard to know what went on in a madman's heart.**

* * *

**

Clive looked so much like what Luke would probably appear in ten years time that it was no wonder he pretended to be Big Luke. It wasn't like Luke had actively thought about what his future self would look like: when he had first read Clive's letter that had started the whole thing, Luke found it beyond him to visualise what the writer would look like. Even though it was meant to be himself, it was hard to get his head around the fact. It was only when they met did things click into place. When Clive looked at him and then smiled as if they shared this infallible bond, Luke found himself convinced he was the real deal. Looking back, it should have been suspicious that Clive had been unable to talk to animals.

What _infallible bond_? The two of them didn't have a bond at all. It was all fake.

Still... How _did _Clive come to look so much like Luke and where had he gotten his love for puzzles from? The puzzle part had to be genuine, at least. The Mobile Fortress had been chock full of puzzles every step of the way. Clive had certainly enjoyed them at least as much as Luke and maybe Professor Layton did.

Luke could sort of imagine it now. Clive was an orphan and he had been adopted by a rich old lady. They certainly couldn't have done much together in the way of games. Maybe puzzles had been Clive's way of entertaining himself for all those long, lonely years as a powerless child.

Luke sat up suddenly and shook his head vigorously. Now what was he thinking? Was he almost starting to feel _sorry _for Clive?

"_The only thing a bully understands is force." _That was Clive had said, and he _believed _it. That was why he'd created that war machine. It was why he wanted to destroy London because the scientists, politicians – _everyone_ – was a bully to him. A force that needed to be reckoned with.

It was also why he stood up to the Family goons in Chinatown.

"_You're one of the fellows behind the incident at the casino, aren't you?"_

"_Let's say I am. What would you do about it?" _

"_I'd get my boss Shmelmey to give you a knuckle sandwich...if only he hadn't gone off to the bathroom!"_

"_Well, lucky for us, he's not here. We'll just be going now."_

"_If you run off, I'll make sure my boss squishes you like a bug when he finds you!"_

"_Duly noted."_

It hadn't seemed so much as "standing up" to a bully than it seemed Clive was the bully himself. The Family was dim-witted and nothing to really be feared and so Clive used his superior intellect to completely run rings around them. The Professor was never patronising like that.

It was those little things that proved Clive was not a gentleman at all. It was easy to think of him as completely rotten who had simply put on a righteous act in the beginning. Maybe the truth was that it was his strongly passionate sense of justice that had lead him to become the person he was in the end.

Maybe.

* * *

Clive was in prison now and would probably be there for quite a few more years to come. One day, and it was a pure spur of the moment thing, Luke decided - _"I think I will write Clive a letter."_

And so Luke brought out his pen and ink and slowly began to write a message to the man who had once tried to destroy London. To the man who had tricked him and to the man who, briefly, Luke might have been proud to think he would become...


End file.
